Liquid-fuel-burning apparatus



July so, 1929. w. E. DELAND. ,73 I

LIQUIDFUEL BURNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l ll-WH/L w ATTDRNEZU-E July 30, 1929, w. E. DELAND 1,722,735 LIQUID FUELBURNING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1927 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

' I I II ATTEJRHEL|5= Patented July 30, 1929.

WENDELL E. DELAND, OF MTOBGESilllli'ilt, MASSAGHFSET'IS.

LIoUIn-runL-Bunnme arrena'r us; 1

Application filed December 20, 1927." Serial No. 241,406.

The invention relates to an improvement in liquid fuel burningapparatus.

The improvement pertains to an apparatus which includes a burner tankkept properly 5 supplied with fuel, and the essentlal object of theinvention is to prevent flooding of this tank, together withaccompanying economies in structure and arrangement.

. The improvement contemplates an arrange- -ment in which a burner tankissupplied wlth liquid fuel from a main supply tank and the fuel kept ata substantially constant level within the burner tankwith accompanyingarrangement whereby excess fuel supplied to the burner tank will bedischarged therefrom and instead of being returned to the main supplytarik will be delivered back into the burner tank. To put the matter inanother way: 7

p The improvement contemplates the use of a pump kept continuouslyrunning .by which fuel is supplied to a burner tank from a mam supplytank with an arrangement whereby all excess fuel delivered into theburner tank beyond that which will satisfy the requirements of this tankwill be discharged out of the tank and returned to the pump whichredelivers it into the burner tank without drawing upon the fuel in themain tank, the fuel in the main tank being drawn upon only as therequirements of the burner tank demand withdrawal of fuel therefrom.

The improvement further contemplates an arrangement in which the burnertank is equipped with a float-controlled valve for maintaining theliquid fuel in the tank at a substantially constant level, provisionbeing made that in case the float ceases to function and drops,thereupon the liquid fuel discharged into the burner tank willimmediately be discharged therefrom by the opening of the valve, andreturned to the pump to be circulated by the pump through the burnertank in the manner previously referred to, until such time as the pumpceases to function. though continuing to operate, on account of thebreaking of the vacuum on the suction side of the pump. I

The improvement constituting the invention can best be seen andunderstood by referto ence to the drawings in which a typical embodimentthereof is shown and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a view mainly in section but partly in, sideelevation of the burner tank and parts incidental to it includingespecially the float- -11. The valve is provided with ports controlledvalve for maintainin fuel de- 11 vered into the burner tank at a sustantially constant level, and I Fig. 3 is a view mainly inverticalsection of the valve shown in Fig. 2. f

Referring to the drawings y 1 represents the burner tank. ,2 is theburner mounted upon the tankand provided with a pipe 3 leading down intoit and through which fuel therein issupplied to the burner in the usualmanner. i i

4 represents the main liquid fuel supply tank from which liquid fuel issupplied to the burner tank. This liquid fuel supply tank 1s usuallyarranged some distance away from the burner tank and in the typicalinstallation is locatedbelow the level of the burner tank. Leading outof the main liquid fuel supply tank 4 is a pipe connection 5 having init a strainer 6 and connecting with the suction s1de of a pump 7Extending from the discharge side of the pump is a pipe connection 8leading into the burner tank for delivering thereto liquid fueldischarged by the pump.

The liquid fuel delivered into the burner tank is maintained therein ata substantially constant level, all excess fuel being dischargedtherefrom and redirected as will later be explained. .9 represents theliquid fuel within the burner tank. The maintenance of the fuel withinthe burner tank at a substantially constant level is obtained by afloat-controlled valve of which 10 is the valve proper and 11 theseating portion thereof. The seating portion 11 of thevalve comprisesa'tube extendingthrough the bottom of the burner tank and held fixedthereto by a flange-forming collar 12 on the inside and opposmgtightening nut 13 on the outside, the nut being arranged upon the end ofthe tube depending from and extending beyond the bottom of the tank. Thebody of the tube or' seating portion of the valve extends upward insidethe tank and lies Within that portion of the tank occupied by the liquidfuel 9 contained therein. The tube is provided with one or more. ports14. The valve 10 is in the form of a sleeve which has a sliding fit overi the seating portion of the valve ortube 15 through it which. areadapted to register or lie out of register. with the ports 14 throughthe valve seat depending upon the relative position of the valve andseat. Atits upper or head end the valve is pivoted at the point 16 to ayoke 17 which forms an extension to a float arm 18 to the end of whichis secured a float 19. The yoke--17, extended beyond the valve, ispivoted at the point 20 to an upright or standard 21 fixed to the bottomof the tank by means of a foot 22 which is bound between the flange 12and the bottom of the tank. In the operation of this float-' containedvalve the relative arrangement of the ports through the valve and seatis such that when the tank contains, a normal and proper amount ofliquid fuel the valve will be closed, the ports through the valve andseating not registering and accordingly no liquid fuel'can pass throughthe valve. In case the liquid fuel in thetank risesabove its normallevel the fioat will open the valve and permit a discharge of liquidfuel through the valve. The valvular arrangement is also such that incase the float becomes disrupted so as to be capable of no longerproperly functioning as a float and drop within the liquid in the burnertank, the valve by the dropping of the float will be opened to permit ofthe discharge of liquid fuel from the burner tank, the ports through thevalve and its seating then regis tering.

All liquid fuel allowed to pass through the valve on the opening thereofwill discharge through the tubular seating 11 of the valve and therebybe directed through the bottom of the tank into a return pipe 23 whichconnects with the lower projecting end of the valve seat or tube 11through which the liquid fuel is discharged from the tank. The pipe 23extends back and connects with the pipe connection 5 on the suction sideof the pump. The operation is as follows: It will first be assumed thatthe pump is in continuous operation, being operated in any suitablemanner. The burner tank will beinitially supplied with liquid fuel fromthe main fuel supply tank, being drawn from this tank by the pump anddelivered into the burner tank. T0 permit-,of the initial filling of theburner tank the float is manually maintained in a position within theburner tank where it will operate to close the valve. All excess liquidfuel directed into the-burner tank will be discharged therefrom throughthe float-controlled valve as the float permits of such discharge whentheliquid fuel in the tank rises above-a normal level. All liquid fuelthus discharged will pass back through the pipe 23 and thence will besubjected to the suction developed by the pump inasmuch as it leadsdirectly into the suction side of the pump and accordingly the pump willact upon this returned liquid fuel rather than upon the liquid fuel inthe main supply tank, inasmuch as the vacuum or partial vacuum developedby the pump-leading back intorthe main supply tank will be broken by theentry of the pipe 23 containing the liquid fuel returned from the burnertank. This efl'ect is obtained in practically any normal type ofinstallation inasmuch as the liquid fuel returned from the burner tankis contained in a pipe having closer connection with the pump than thepipe leading back to the main supply tank which is" more or less remote.'Besides the relative arrangement of ,the return pipe 23 and pump andthe point where the return pipe connects with the pump is customarilysuch that the returned liqu1d .fuel will rise in the return pipe to apoint appurpose of facilitating the discharge of liquidfuel therefrom asis customary in such appa- '5 ratus. This pressure acting upon theliquid fuel in the burner tank will operate through the valve when opento force the returned liquid fuel back through the return pipe to a.

position relatively near the suction side of the pump in the normalarrangement of the parts. In this way all excess liquid fuel is notreturned to the main tank, but is acted upon by the pump and returned tothe burner tank,

circulation of the liquid fuel thereby being effected, and the pump willnot draw upon the liquid fuel in the main tank except in case the demandof the burner tank for maintaining in it a constant level of liquid fuelrequires a withdrawal from the main tank.

In case the float becomes inoperative and drops, thereupon the valvewill be made to open and" remain open owing to the determinatearrangement of the ports through the valve and seating. With the valvethus open the liquid fuel in the tank will begin to discharge therefromand be returned to the pump and circulated back into the burner tank fora. certain period of time. During this period of circulation the burnerwill still continue to draw upon the liquid fuel in the burner tank I.until such time as the liquid fuel therein has become so lowered thatthe air will enter through the valve and return pipe connecting with thesuction side-of the pump. Thereupon the vacuum on the pump being brokenthe pump though continuing to operate will cease to function as apumpand liquid fuel will no longer be delivered into the burner tankwith accompanying extinguishing of the burner.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States A;liquid fuel burning apparatus comprising in combination a burner tank, aburner nozzle in operative relation with liquid fuel in the tank, .amain liquid fuel supply tank, a pump, a connection from the. main liquidfuel supply tank connecting with the suction side of the pump, aconnection leading from the discharge side of the pump and connectingwith the burner tank for supplying liquid fuel thereto a returnconnection back from the burner tank connecting with the suction side ofthe pump whereby the pump acting on the liquid fuel returned throughsaid connection will deliver it back into the burner tank, afloat-controlled valve for maintaining liquid fuel discharged into theburner tan at a substantially constant level with permitted discharge ofexcess liquid fuel from the tank by the opening of the valve, said valvebeing adapted and arranged also to be 10 opened on a determinatedropping of the float as in case of disruption permitting discharge ofliquid fuel from the burner tank into said return connection andpermitting entry of air therethrough when the, liquid fuel in the tank15 has been lowered a determinate amount by the continued operation ofthe burner.

WENDELL E. DELAND.

